


i'll be your naughty girl & i got to have ya babe

by throwaway18



Series: she keeps me warm [1]
Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Dancers, F/F, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23446111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/throwaway18/pseuds/throwaway18
Summary: seungwan thinks joohyun is too much of a prude to be able to beat her in a dance-off.and joohyun is certain she's the only person capable of getting into seungwan's nerves.(dancer/rivals au)
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Series: she keeps me warm [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790314
Comments: 24
Kudos: 94





	i'll be your naughty girl & i got to have ya babe

**Author's Note:**

> this story is, of course, purely fictional and is for my creative outlet
> 
> please do not link this story to any of the girls as i respect their privacy, and again, i write my stories out of entertainment and nothing more
> 
> with that said, please ship responsibly and be kind to one another <3
> 
> (cross-posted on aff)

Chungha should have seen this coming.

She really should have.

What kind of results did she think she was going to get when she had left two overgrown restless toddlers unattended?

There isn’t anyone else to blame but herself for this.

“As you guys know.” She begins. The university’s dance team leader stands before her members in a rare stance exuding a hint of minor distress. It’s quite obvious she’s trying her hardest to placate her worries for everyone’s sake, but the wrinkles inhabiting on her forehead say otherwise. “A certain _leapfrog_ incident has caused an injury to our fellow member,” she combs through her partially damp hair then glances at Seulgi to her left, who guiltily directs the leader a crooked smile displaying her missing front tooth and bruised chin.

The sight of the injured member extracts a defeated sigh from Chungha.

Seulgi’s chipped tooth isn’t an issue. It’s not like their audience will be playing dentist, paying extra attention to the completeness of Seulgi’s teeth during the fall opening ceremony. If it bothers her so much, she could just cover it up with a facemask. Problem solved. The status of her facial structure isn’t relevant in showcasing the girl’s dancing skills anyhow. But no, Chungha’s issue here lies in the cast securely bandaged around her second-in-command’s twisted ankle, the whole incident perpetuated by the other person standing beside the unhappy leader.

Lisa doesn’t even have the guts to look at Chunga straight in the eye, favoring to watch the ceiling in faux wonderment with her lips pressed together in a thin line. She had promised Chungha that they would behave, but this outcome has taught the older girl that being gone for a measly _fifteen minutes_ will reward her with a bloody Seulgi curling on the floor and a panicky Lisa wiping the red from her friend’s face.

Experience is the best teacher they say.

How those two dolts went from practicing their routine to having an extreme version of leapfrog is beyond Chungha’s understanding. Seulgi being the oldest among the three would have given her a bigger sense of responsibility, an inaccurate judgment on Chungha’s part. That day would definitely be the last time she’s leaving them to their own devices.

Chungha sighs again, regarding the rest of the team. “It is with great regret that Seulgi will not be dancing with Lisa and I for this weekend’s performance.” The announcement isn’t news to them since Seulgi’s injury travelled fast through the grapevine yesterday. That and Seulgi’s busted lip plus the pair of crutches wedged underneath her armpits are displayed for everyone to see.

Seulgi pouts and mumbles breathily, _“Tho thowwy guyth…”_

Everyone becomes quiet, knowing how inappropriate it would be to laugh within this serious scenario, but Lisa, being Lisa, has her shoulders shaking in place and hair barricading her features as she bows her head to restrain herself from laughing, subsequently releasing a stilted snort which echoes throughout the room. This creates a domino effect by affecting almost every other person to be infected by a fit of giggles.

Chungha could hardly straighten up her poise, biting the insides of her cheeks in desperation to retrieve her composure. In seconds, the hilarity vanishes and she clears her throat, reverting to her strict leader mode and continues. “As I was saying, Seulgi cannot perform the next weekend, which is why I’m holding this impromptu audition to fill her spot. To make things quick, I’ll be choosing two random people at a time to dance to the same song. Once everyone is finished, that’s when I’ll be making my decision. Understood?” They all nod. Chungha motions for Seulgi and Lisa to ready their music, while she takes out a bowl carrying the members’ names she had written down earlier.

Murmurs erupt among the members, relishing at the chance they could be dancing alongside a powerhouse like Chungha and Lisa. Team dances are one thing, but to be able to perform with them for a school performance is an opportunity. The university dance club comprises of students who take dancing as a profession (the Seul-Chung-Li trio), and those who take it as an afterschool hobby (people who are not in the Seul-Chung-Li trio). Other dance majors don’t apply for clubs at all. With this open to everyone, it would be a heck of a bragging right to win the spot.

Chunga, their instructor’s handpicked leader, is tasked to appoint a worthy colleague to join her and Lisa. She plucks out a piece of paper, silencing everyone’s chatter, and reads it aloud.

“Son Seungwan.”

Seungwan snaps her head to their leader as her name is called.

She has been daydreaming randomly for a while, specifically about the versatility of lettuce, and her name reverberating within the room startled her for a bit. Her surrounding peers are showering her with unabashed words of encouragement, including a silly double thumbs up from Seulgi, her roommate. She shakes her head fondly at them, appreciative of their support. She wonders who her opponent could be.

So Seungwan has been told that she’s an excellent dancer, but it’s nowhere near the three dance majors’ expertise. In all honesty, she would be ecstatic to land the part, although she is far from thrilled about her roommate’s injury. It’s been a whirlwind decoding what Seulgi is saying half the time.

Huffing out the bundle of nerves gnawing at her bones, Seungwan finally treads to the open space of the studio. She zips down her jacket open, exposing a loose Nike tee, and rests her hands on her hips. It’s going to be a sexy dance routine, that much she’s learned. Her roommate has ruined their surprise number by storytelling the scope of the trio’s practices whenever she returns to the dorm. Seungwan could only hope that whoever she will be up against would be one of the shy ones.

Chungha shuffles the papers around with he fingers as she fishes out for Seungwan’s paired competitor. After an agonizing beat, she unfolds the second piece. She first wordlessly reads the name of the person, her eyes taking their time to absorb the drawn name. Then, her brows quirk up in slight mischief. Seungwan could read through Chungha’s predictability. There’s arguably no one else to be matched as Seungwan’s competition to cause her to react in such a manner. By the smirk stretching on the brunette’s mouth, her opponent is none other than:

“Bae Joohyun.”

A collective _“Oooh!”_ resonates in the room, everyone’s intrigued gazes jumping from Seungwan to Joohyun. Lisa whistles from her seat by the speakers, and they all snicker in teasing. Nothing is more apparent than the three years of rivalry between Seungwan and Joohyun. Even Chungha has to adjust their dance formations since the two would be in each other’s throats so often as long as they’re in close proximity.

Joohyun may be pretty, some people dubbing her as the prettiest goddess on campus, but what Seungwan sees in her is the nasty attitude that grinds her gears. She’s a huge snob and she parades around the university with her head held high, blissfully mindful of how she could get away with anything with her looks putting her at a benefit.

Seungwan is seething with contempt.

The raven-haired senior struts to the position across the blonde, hardly hiding her distaste.

“Tension.” Park Sooyoung intentionally coughs into her fist, earning sniggers from her friends and Joohyun’s infamous death stare.

That shut her up real fast.

With Joohyun as her opponent, Seungwan is at an advantage. The older dancer belongs to the conservative ones in their group, sticking to interpretive dances that didn’t involve a series of body rolls or just anything remotely sexy. Seungwan couldn’t hide the pleasure upon seeing the widening of Joohyun’s eyes as the stereos blare our Beyonce’s “Naughty Girl”.

This is going to be a cakewalk for her.

Seungwan nods to the tempo of the music, tapping the beat on her upper thigh. Eventually, her body follows suit. She lets herself loose to the sultry tone coating Beyonce’s voice, moving her body in slow, grinding waves which procures her several hoots from the audience. A surge of confidence urges her to become bolder, and she kneels to the polished wooden floor. She wouldn’t normally put her abilities to the extremes, but she’s against her rival of all people, so she has to raise the bar higher than usual.

Without any real pressure, Seungwan playfully aims her moves in Joohyun’s direction, taunting her stoic opponent. Joohyun doesn’t flinch nor does she twitch a single vain in her heavily schooled expression, almost like she’s analyzing her enemy, just waiting for her turn to strike.

Rising back up to Joohyun’s level, Seungwan blows her a kiss and says, “Top that.” She walks backwards with a smug. There’s no reiteration on Joohyun’s account, only a deathly stare that probably is the reason for the goosebumps prickling on Seungwan’s skin. This woman really isn’t a talker.

Joohyun walks to the center, snapping her fingers to signify that she’s ready. Lisa immediately restarts the music, and Joohyun wastes no time, catching Seungwan off-guard at the first measured sway of her hips.

Seungwan’s jaw drops.

Heck, everyone’s jaw drops.

How is she the shy girl who requested to be exempted from their Thirteen Shots dance last month? This may be the only instance that Bae Joohyun is stepping out of her comfort zone, and Seungwan is given a front row seat in full-view ultra-HD. Her brain short-circuits beyond repair, unsure what she should do with her body, as she uselessly stands there like a huge chunk of tumbleweed refusing to roll away, blocked by a strong obstacle in the form of Joohyun’s hypnotizing movements.

Everything and everyone else in Seungwan’s line of sight are blurred into the background. The only thing her eyes are focusing on are how Joohyun’s hands travel to the curve of her toned legs, then palm themselves upwards to her exposed midriff in a smooth tantalizing motion, the hem of the older girl’s tee riding up at her fingers grazing the porcelain skin under the fabric. Seungwan could feel her mouth drying up as she swallows the hard lump congesting in her equally drying throat.

She’s left in a daze, surrendering to the hypnosis she has been succumbed into. There’s this inexplicable warmth pooling at the pit of her belly, and she has unconsciously grasped the tips of her Adidas jacket a little too tight upon watching Joohyun walk over towards her in an easy gait. Her eyes have significantly darkened after capturing Seungwan’s unblinking gaze.

Joohyun minimizes their distance. She stays a few inches from Seungwan, hands firm to her sides, but her presence within the other woman’s personal space is overwhelming. She leans to one side of Seungwan’s hardened face, educing the tiniest squeak from the catatonic dancer.

Seungwan is confused. She doesn’t like Joohyun, not the tiniest bit, so why is her body beginning to feel like it’s a goddamn snowman being sent to hell? It would take hours to rewire her system before she does _something_ uncharacteristic of her. She wants to shove Joohyun away, a last resort to her quagmire, and yet her feet remain rooted to the floor. Her dilemma escalates when Joohyun’s voice decreases an octave. Seungwan shivers at the sound. Joohyun’s words are husked and low, firing up the flames that have engulfed Seungwan’s body.

“I don’t know if I topped that, but just so you know,” Joohyun inches her mouth closer to Seungwan’s ear, her ragged breathing sinfully drowning out the cheers from their friends. She whispers softly, making sure that whatever she’s about to say is meant to be exclusively for Seungwan’s earshot, “I prefer the bottom.”

Seungwan sucks in a breath.

She could flip through every single page of the dictionary, and she still wouldn’t be able to search for the precise words to describe the furling and unfurling taking place in her stomach. Whatever it is, it’s an unsettling sensation that has dominated her weakening resolve. The remainder of the heat rises up to her cheeks, acutely aware how the splash of red has spread itself all over.

Before she could muster some coherent response, Joohyun moves away enough for her nose to lightly caress Seungwan’s cheek, her opponent’s parted lips dangerously close to the edge of the younger girl’s own.

And Seungwan’s brain has officially left the building.

She couldn’t see where Joohyun is looking, not when she has been eyeing Joohyun’s lips for a while now, lured by the manner her tongue wets her bottom lip, irresistibly pink and plump that glistens under her watch, and she wants nothing more but to have a taste of the fruity chapstick she could faintly smell, disregarding the inner voice screaming for her to get a grip of reality and—

“Oh my God, you should have seen your face!” Joohyun removes herself from Seungwan’s one-meter radius. She’s smiling widely, smiling at how the sick game she’s played being a success. The rest of their team scrutinizes the flustered blonde, whose frozen body has to be yanked from the main dancefloor by a concerned and entertained Sooyoung. She drags her to where Seulgi and Lisa are sitting, the two women also disconcerted by Seungwan’s lack of response.

“ _Thomething_ wrong, _Theungwan_?” Seulgi questions her with worried eyes.

Despite her roommate butchering her name, Seungwan doesn’t explode in a cacophony of giggles as Lisa and Sooyoung do. No, she’s currently preoccupied with attempting to get over the fact that she has underestimated Joohyun’s capabilities and inwardly thinks to herself what the cheeky older brunette might be hiding. Glancing at her from the other end of the room, she instantly regrets it, as Joohyun darts her a wink and a victorious smirk.

Seungwan deters her attention, grumbling to herself in disbelief, “What the fuck just happened?”

***

Ahn Hyejin temporarily replaces Kang Seulgi.

It’s a no-brainer with the sophomore oozing charisma and a distinct fatality on the dancefloor. Joohyun may not have nabbed the coveted spot, but she pats herself on the back after trudging the boundaries of her comfort zone, especially with Son Seungwan’s mouth hanging ajar. What an undeniably delightful sight it had been. Her stunned expression is tucked in Joohyun’s memory forever to commemorate her personal victory.

Serves her right for regarding Joohyun as an easy opponent.

“You coming?” Sooyoung asks her over her shoulder when they exit the balcony of the theater. Her question halts Joohyun in her tracks. The tall business major was about to round the corner but must have realized the older brunette is headed for the opposite way.

Every year, the fall opening ceremony brings in crowds of giddy freshmen who rejoice at the prospect of an exciting university life, and the senior fully intends on avoiding such gathering at all cost. They’re a bunch of Energizer bunnies on a high being let loose. She’d rather be cooped up in her introverted shell at the safety of her dorm than be surrounded by the banshee screams of overly enthusiastic nineteen year-olds.

Freshmen kids are weirdly hyperactive.

She would have declined on the spot, taking this earlier time of the day as her opening to retreat to her dorm building while the crowd has yet to thicken. But this is Park Sooyoung asking, the friendly sophomore who dared to befriend her at the dance club Joohyun joined for stress-relieving purposes. So even if she has her answer ready at the tip of her tongue (“important matters to attend to” she plans to say, which is a code for napping this day away in her comfy lavender bedsheets), she clarifies out of politeness.

“To where?” Joohyun smiles at her. An innocent smile that would make her an exceptional bullshit actress. She bats her eyes for the added effect of curiosity.

Sooyoung points out the window to a stage being erected at the farther side of the open field. The students lining up at the variety of food stalls appear like ants from the second floor of the Performing Arts building.

“To watch Seungwan,” she chirps merrily, as if watching said person would be the greatest show to behold.

At this, Joohyun’s façade shatters in an instant, and she grimaces in complete disgust. “Watch Seungwan?” She parrots, adding in incredulity in her tone. “Why would I subject myself to such torture? Unless, she’s going to be burned at stake for her witchery then I’ll be there.”

That would be the only time Joohyun would volunteer to seek for Seungwan, a bucket of popcorn in hand.

Her friend of all people should have been aware. Sooyoung has been a star witness along with their dance club members at the two girls’ rivalry. It’s a very known fact that Joohyun dislikes Seungwan. She dislikes her preppy demeanor and happy-go-lucky attitude. She dislikes her flashy blonde hair and disarming smile like she could cure cancer by a simple curve of her lips.

She’s the epitome of who Joohyun isn’t, their opposing personalities sparking heated discourses throughout their university life. Joohyun swears it would be a miracle for them to be on the same page.

Sooyoung darts her an eyeroll. “Seungwan-unnie is nice if you give her the chance.”

“The chance for her to entice me with her witchcraft?” A rational theory to why people claim Seungwan is “nice”. Joohyun folds her arms over her chest. “Hard pass.”

“She’s not a witch,” Sooyoung drones monotonously, obviously exhausted with the on-going feud brewing between her friends.

Joohyun gasps dramatically. “That’s what she wants you to think!” Sooyoung readies her retort but before a distracted person could crash into her, Joohyun takes her by the arm and out of the busy hallway. The students who lingered inside after the opening ceremony have filtered themselves to the corridor. Joohyun absolutely detests squeezing herself among a sea of people so she pulls Sooyoung in a hurry, make their descent to the ground floor and tread to the open field where people are scattered at an acceptable distance.

They take shelter underneath the shade of a drink cart’s striped canopy, and Joohyun observes the number of people multiplying as they flock in front of the stage. She could see a couple of students in black setting up equipment, rushing in and out of the backstage, testing microphones and several musical instruments. There’s a familiar guy who is nodding his head playfully while he taps on a keyboard that isn’t connected to the sound system. Joohyun recognizes him as a business major hailing from California.

“Give it a break, unnie.” Sooyoung starts once again. Apparently, she isn’t finished convincing Joohyun in availing her membership at Son Seungwan’s fanclub. “She’s one of the most genuine people out here.”

“That’s her witchcraft working on you.” Joohyun narrows her eyes. Because Son Seungwam has only been a thorn by her side ever since the girl got in the dance club in Joohyun’s second year. She has been nothing but a nuisance, the sole positive thing about her presence being a fuel to Joohyun’s competitive spirit.

The rest of the members, on the other hand, worship at her feet like she’s the anointed Saint Seungwan, healer of lepers and proof that the second coming of Christ is in the near future with her embodiment of Mother Theresa. It’s all rainbows and sunshine and homemade pastries with the blonde girl. She tries too hard for Joohyun’s taste.

“I really don’t get you two.” Of course Sooyoung wouldn’t. The remainder of the population wouldn’t. Everyone else is exposed to Seungwan’s good side, whereas Joohyun pushes the right buttons to provoke her in revealing her bad side. It’s a reminder that Son Seungwan isn’t perfect. She’s cocky, overconfident and easily riled up beneath the goody-two-shoes persona. Seungwan has a switch and Joohyun is the trigger to flip it on.

Sooyoung momentarily flits her attention to her friends passing by, and Joohyun moves to sneakily escape the scene but Sooyoung’s hand is firm around her wrist. She scowls. “Oh no you don’t. We’re watching her sing whether you like it or not.” The tenacity destroys Joohyun’s initial plans of returning to slumber. Sooyoung rarely takes no for an answer causing Joohyun to deflate. “No more being a hermit in your dorm. Besides, you can’t possibly deny that Seungwan is a good singer.”

 _What is there to deny, anyway?_ Joohyun thinks. She shrugs nonchalantly. “Never heard her sing—ow! What the heck?” Not only is Sooyoung capable of giving a vice grip, but she can also inflict a mean pinch.

“How have you not heard her sing?!” Sooyoung is livid at the revelation, and the poor guy manning the drink cart almost drops the bottled water he was handing to a customer. His hands are too full to shoo them away, with the queue of people parched and impatient for their desired beverage.

Seungwan is a “famous” singer around campus, Joohyun knows. Listening to Seungwan sing has to be a right of passage in their university upon hearing their classmates and strangers praise her singing ability on more than one occasion. But the compliment is a mere knowledge to Joohyun as her introverted personality keeps her from spending her vacant time beyond the security of her dorm.

It’s not like she’s missing out.

“She has the voice of a literal angel.” Sooyoung swoons dreamily. Another testimony from a representative of Saint Seungwan’s cult of believers.

“I’m being careful.” Joohyun soothes the sore spot by her side with her free arm. A small patch of red blooms on the skin below her crop top. She’ll have to cover it up with her checkered flannel to conceal the eyesore. “She could lure me to my death.”

“You’re not a sailor and she’s not a siren either.” Sooyoung sends her second eyeroll in their few minutes of conversation. She’d be having pinwheels for eyes at this rate. “Come on, it’ll be fun!" Sooyoung jumps excitedly. The taller girl doesn’t wait for Joohyun’s response, tugging her towards the general direction of the stage and the gathering crowd. It would be unwise to test the limits of Sooyoung’s strength.

Joohyun already hates this.

“Don’t be a pouty mouth.” Sooyoung glances at her. The crowd isn’t as horrible as Joohyun expected it to be, but she wouldn’t survive this by herself. The tall girl expertly leads them around the throng of restless freshmen and annoyed upperclassmen, squeezing themselves in through the gaps. This wouldn’t come as a shocking feat to Joohyun, very well aware of how Sooyoung is present at every rave thanks to her very active social media profile. They secure a spot somewhere by the foot of the stage with Sooyoung behind Joohyun, shielding her from any possible collision. “She’s singing with her arch enemy so this will be worth the watch.”

“What?” Joohyun jerks her arm from Sooyoung’s hold and she turns around, eyeing her inquisitively. “What arch enemy? I’m not singing with her.”

Having Joohyun’s face in full view, freshmen boys are ogling her so boldly and the regret of not turning down Sooyoung on the get-go sinks in deeper. She could live without hearing Seungwan sing. The irritation of being under their scrutiny propels her to fire a single glare their way, and the boys scramble to face somewhere that isn’t warning them of death.

“Um.” Sooyoung’s voice reverts Joohyun’s eyes to her taller friend. She fuses her brows together. “You’re not her arch enemy.”

Joohyun tilts her head in confusion. _Not her arch enemy?_ This is some mad alien language Sooyoung is spouting. “Are you forgetting the immense dislike we have for one another? She’s the bane of my existence, and the appearance of my face just about ruins her day. She even sends me chicken takeout on my birthdays knowing I hate chicken. A dumb present to waste her money on, but I return the favor by ordering a tub of mint chip ice cream on her birthday. It’s stupid but it’s our thing. Messing with each other is _our_ thing. I _am_ her arch enemy, Sooyoung.” Joohyun concludes her speech.

It feels strange that she felt compelled to justify her relationship—or her lack of relationship—with Seungwan amidst the numerous sweaty bodies encircling them. However, Sooyoung isn’t swayed by her conviction.

“Again, no. You’re not.” The sophomore chuckles at the notion. It’s almost mocking. She then plants her palms on Joohyun’s shoulders, twisting her body to face the stage once more. “ _He_ is.”

Joohyun squints her eyes. She trains them to the keyboard-tapping business major. He’s no longer playing the instrument, but is speaking to a fellow blue-haired performer who Joohyun assumes is the drummer. If the drumsticks are any indication. Keyboard player somehow notices Sooyoung from the crowd and he nods at her. Joohyun cranes her neck to her friend. “The guy from California?”

Sooyoung nods back at him, then nods again at Joohyun. “Yup! Seungwan-unnie’s arch enemy.”

Joohyun takes a more enhanced scan at him. She nibbles on her lower lip.

Dimples dot both corners of his mouth as he smiles widely at someone in the audience. A girl shrieks at the mundane gesture, hitting a goddamn G-sharp, and Joohyun decides he’s on her hate-list too. Cocky and overconfident. A smile that mirrors an egotistic personality. He and Seungwan are a match made in heaven.

How fitting.

But is he really Seungwan’s number one arch enemy?

“They’ve been butting heads since high school, that’s before you and unnie met,” Sooyoung tells her. “I went to the same high school as them. Believe me. They’d tear each other apart in debates, student body elections, seeing who gets to hold their breath the longest at the pool during PE. It was crazy.”

“I’m sure that doesn’t compare to our—”

“They were tied for valedictorian in their class and had the entire faculty at their wits’ end since neither of them would accept it. Seungwan-unnie spent the whole night recalculating her GPA then argued hers was 0.001 higher than his. The teachers didn’t budge because it still didn’t round-off her grade, so they were forced to share the throne. The real winner was crowned at their graduation party during a game of beer pong where he won. He called her a sore loser. She dumped beer over his head. I don’t know what you and unnie have, but no one else incited her the way Eric Nam did.”

Joohyun is frowning at this point.

She should be elated that there is actually someone besides her who doesn’t bow down at Seungwan’s every move. There’s finally a person who sees beyond her brilliance and goodness. But it rattles Joohyun. It rattles her how she isn’t the only source of Seungwan’s complaints, and that this guy has acquired the power to push Seungwan off the edge. Pouring liquor on him of all things.

The worst Joohyun was able to do was deliberately stepping on Seungwan’s heels while dancing. She had been pissed at something the junior said. Chungha had to intervene and threatened to kick both of them out of the club before it could escalate into a full-blown screaming match.

It was petty, yes, but that’s what arch enemies do.

“And you know what’s interesting?” Sooyoung raises her voice as the host of the show begins the introductions. The host’s welcome doesn’t register in Joohyun’s ears, her senses trained to devote their focus on Sooyoung talking. “They have the _best_ chemistry whenever they sing.”

While the host enumerates the acts for today, Seungwan ascends to the stage, shyly scoping out the audience by the drumkit. Her blonde hair is further accentuated by her black jeans and black off-shoulder top that boasts the lines of her collarbones. Joohyun catches herself staring, immediately shaking off her trance. She hopes Sooyoung hasn’t caught wind of it.

Seungwan searches for an item from the staff, presumably her mic, wherein Eric intercepts by offering a second microphone to her. He has a childlike mischief in his eyes, and Seungwan is hyperaware of this, hesitating to take the mic from his hand. When she decides to reach for it, Eric retracts the object, prompting Seungwan to make a clumsy grab at nothing but air. She pouts, and he’s giving her his blinding smile. She retreats backstage after snatching the mic and flipping him the middle finger.

Classy.

The gross display makes Joohyun want to barf. It’s not like she cares about this disgusting “chemistry” they have. Seungwan’s love life isn’t her business nor will it ever be. She just couldn’t wrap her head around being the least of the junior’s troubles, counting the disputes they have over time. She scoffs.

“She’s impossible. After all the time we’ve wanted to choke each other—”

“Kinky.”

“—how am I not her arch enemy? That good for nothing two-timing tart!” Onlookers eye her warily, and Joohyun can’t place them at fault for doing so. Here’s a fuming tiny woman with her balled fists, stomping petulantly on the grassy field. Who wouldn’t be wary of her sudden little outburst? “She made me think we—we—”

“Got something special going on?”

Sooyoung is smirking. Her eyes are drilling holes onto Joohyun’s skin. It _burns_. Joohyun isn’t a fan of how Sooyoung is directing the smirk at her. The tall devil’s lips are filled with satisfaction, slowly uncovering the unwanted thoughts that have been swimming in Joohyun’s addled brain. Sooyoung is harmless for the most part, but she can pose as a lethal threat when a certain situation piques her interest, certain situations where whatever leaves her mouth would make the other person squirm. Take this for example.

“Is that why you seduced her on the dancefloor? Because you two have this inexplicable tension in the air?”

Joohyun plays it cool but she totally evades Sooyoung’s probing gaze. Staying with this perceptive fox is a terrible idea. She could feel Sooyoung attempting to infiltrate her mind. How could Joohyun have anticipated that she’d be backed into a corner? She seriously should have gone back to her dorm. She does her best to recompose herself, wiping her sweaty palms onto her jeans. “I wasn’t seducing her. I was proving to her that she shouldn’t underestimate me.”

Which is true. Although it would be a huge lie for her to say that she had enjoyed Seungwan’s reaction more than she should. God forbid she admits that out loud.

“You proved to her something alright,” Sooyoung quips cryptically, grinning to herself like she’s mentioned some brilliant inside joke.

Joohyun wants to ask what she means by it, but she’s interrupted by Eric Nam’s singing. She didn’t even realize it’s been seconds into the performance. She scribbles the question into her mental clipboard for later, and weighs in whether this renowned duo is worthy of the fuss buzzing around them.

 _“We got this king size to ourselves.”_ Eric’s melodic voice elicits the chants of hormonal fangirls. He’s playing on the piano as he sings, delivering the necessary sex appeal onto his singing.

_“Don't have to share with no one else  
Don't keep your secrets to yourself  
It's karma sutra show and tell.”_

He has the talent, Joohyun would have to agree. She couldn’t resist bopping her head and swaying along with the music. Eric leans forward to the mic and shuts his eyes.

_“Woah, there's loving in your eyes  
That pulls me closer  
It's so subtle, I'm in trouble  
But I'd love to be in trouble with you”_

Seungwan then emerges from backstage and it happens.

_“Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on.”_

Joohyun sees how the two effortlessly trap themselves into their own bubble, everything else fading. Their intense gazes are locked at every word and at every step Seungwan makes until she’s able to prop her mic on its stand, a foot away from where Eric is situated. Still, she exerts the effort of slanting her body sideways to meet Eric halfway, their faces intimately close, and Joohyun’s vision turns red.

But the unexpected bouts of anger dissolve as Seungwan enchants Joohyun with a melodious tune blessing her ears.

_“And when you leave me all alone.”_

The hairs all over Joohyun’s skin stand on their ends. Seungwan is now focusing on singing to the audience, her hands caressing the neck of the mic stand. She belts out the lyrics while in her element, and Joohyun has the definite proof that witches do exist because how else could she explain the witchery Seungwan is casting upon her?

 _“I'm like a stray without a home_  
I'm like a dog without a bone  
I just want you for my own.”

A beat. Then Seungwan winks.

_“I got to have ya babe.”_

_Oh gosh._

Joohyun can’t verbalize this weird fuzzy feeling in her tummy, but it’s there awaiting to be given a meaning albeit the mesh of emotions she’s drowning in at the moment. She finds herself perturbed by the teasing stare Seungwan is giving to Eric, glossing over them singing past the pre-chorus and chorus in harmony. It’s the similar teasing stare Seungwan would give her in their dances to distract her, and it reels Joohyun into a sulking mode, clenching and unclenching her fists because, _how dare she make her feel like she’s the biggest antagonist in Son Seungwan’s life when she has literally spent her teenage years pulverizing this guy who is one hundred and one percent sending her flirtatious signals and she’s eating them up,_ then Joohyun’s mind is going a million miles per second and the only clear thing occupying her thoughts is that Son Seungwan has a goddamn arch enemy who isn’t her!

The song finishes, and Joohyun loses the scowl she has unknowingly worn in the duration of the song. She doesn’t have the ample time to properly react and recover with Sooyoung dragging her around the platform, to the backstage to say hello to the band who are from her high school as well. The tall brunette has to have a series of intertwined circle of friends. Joohyun imagines the Olympics logo. She trails after Sooyoung on auto-pilot, entering a tent designated for the performers.

They barge in without warning, and the band members yelp at Sooyoung’s high-pitched greeting. Joohyun is promptly introduced, she shakes their hands after repeating their names, but her eyes are distant, scanning for a particular blonde dressed in black. No sign of her and her despicable partner. Wheein, the drummer, proposes for a selfie for old time’s sake which prompts Sooyoung to whip out her phone. The background sucks, she whines, suggesting to take it outside. They’re kind enough to let Joohyun in their group.

She declines.

Instead, she insists on loitering indoors to wait for them, her mood too sour for a photo, blaming the claustrophobia from the crowd earlier.

Joohyun absentmindedly ganders at the trinkets as she rests her bottom on a huge leather suitcase. The next act is playing, a sweet serenade lulling the atmosphere, permeating the interior of the tent. It doesn’t change the tides of Joohyun’s deadened spirit. She had been in a one-sided rivalry for three years. What is she to Seungwan anyway? Joohyun is never the type to sulk, yet her lips refuse to arch upwards.

While she sits their idly, she fails to heed the figure ducking inside the tent, cheeks flushed from the adrenaline and blonde locks mussed by the autumn breeze.

“I knew I smelled failure all the way from the stage.”

Joohyun doesn’t have to look to tell who the voice belongs to. No other brave soul would offend her ego. She stays passive on her seat, eyes stormy and cold, and works up the most unimpressed expression she could. “Is that the same insult you used on Eric?”

Seungwan is taken aback by the mention of his name. She doesn’t seem to be expecting for Joohyun to have the tidbit that he’s her _actual_ nemesis. She has the gall to be slightly sheepish. “Sooyoung must’ve told you.”

“I’m not the only one, huh?” Joohyun feels a peculiar bitterness as she spits it out. Refusing to look up at her not-really-arch-enemy, she throws daggers at a bag of microphones. “How many arch enemies do you really have?”

Seungwan snorts. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”

“You and Eric seem cozy for arch enemies.”

The observation draws embarrassment from Seungwan, a hue of red staining her cheeks. She goes to sit beside Joohyun, inches apart from her, her hands resting on the edge of the suitcase. Joohyun glances at her from her peripheral. “Eric and I…” Seungwan states wistfully. She looks up at the ceiling of the tent but Joohyun could only focus on how Seungwan’s face turns somber as she reminisces on her high school days. The bitterness reappears within Joohyun.

“It’s always been an academic race with him, a battle of our brains if you will. I don’t remember how it began, but things are just the way they are. There’s this different… _aura_ around us whenever we’re onstage. We get so into it that we get carried away sometimes.”

“Like you and me?” Joohyun shoots up an amused eyebrow. They do get carried away in a sense their arguments have caused problems. Joohyun would become so lost in getting on Seungwan’s nerves that she would willingly welcome the consequences.

But Seungwan has most likely interpreted Joohyun’s words differently. Her silence speaks volumes, and the rise and fall of her chest has quickened its pace. She has withdrawn her previous smile, substituting it for an indiscernible seriousness. Her hazy dark-brown eyes don’t stray from Joohyun’s seizing hers in an intensity Joohyun could vaguely recall in their dance-off.

Seungwan mutters quietly, “We never get carried away.”

The tent is becoming too warm and Joohyun’s insides are wreaking havoc.

She’s conscious of the dangers the statement entails. It could go south if she isn’t cautious with her next move. But thinking is a particularly complex action in her current state of mind, her body submitting to the shift in the air between them. Seungwan has gotten to her, but Joohyun wouldn’t give her the control. She could reverse the situation into her favor, allowing herself to level with Seungwan, their warm breaths mingling at the miniscule distance separating their faces.

“Do you want to get carried away?”

Joohyun now gains the upper hand, following the movement of Seungwan’s throat as she gulps, and the twitching of the corner of her lips which lasts for a split second. Seungwan doesn’t say anything for a brief moment, and Joohyun is on the verge of taking it as her cue to celebrate on her not-really-arch-enemy falling for her trap.

Right when she’s about to taunt her, Seungwan moves to tuck a strand of hair behind Joohyun’s ear, the abrupt touch transmitting mini thunderbolts onto the side of the older girl’s face. Joohyun is numb, head to toe, reduced to a statue in the midst of a stare down with her enemy, who shouldn’t be thrilling her in their predicament. Seungwan then supplies her with a comeback. “Depends on where our positions would lead us.” She gently cups the underside of Joohyun’s jaw.

“Do you still prefer the bottom?”

Joohyun’s blood floods to the tip of her ears.

She wouldn’t have predicted for Seungwan to use her own words against her. It had been a joke. A stupid goddamn joke. A stupid little joke to mess with Seungwan, but here is Joohyun, unable to function at her imagination going haywire. They also happen to be eliminating more of the space between them, faces laggardly meeting at a midpoint. Joohyun doesn’t shove Seungwan’s hand either, indirectly permitting the blonde to do as she pleases.

She could hear her pulse ringing in her ears, thrumming a fast-paced rhythm and blocking the roar of the audience outside demanding an encore. Her eyes study Seungwan’s face, the droplets of sweat trickling the lines of her chin, her parted lips, and the feather-light brushing of heir noses at their heads angling closer, Seungwan’s minty hot breath invading her nostrils and her body is so _so_ warm then Joohyun is closing her eyes and—

“And that’s payback.”

Seungwan detaches her hand from Joohyun’s jaw, the ghost of her palm still crystal clear in Joohyun’s overridden senses. Joohyun doesn’t lift a muscle, she really just isn’t able to, while Seungwan stands up and sports a pleased grin aiming at the older girl’s paralysis. The blonde deserts her like that, frustrated and confused, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat.

As Joohyun regains mobility, the first thing she does is bury her face in her hands, groaning at herself, “What the hell just happened?”

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on my aff acount, these are two one-shots i've combined to be uploaded here. i wrote the first one a little over a month ago after watching irene's dance on her instagram, and the second part was finished just yesterday. this is a little something before i get back to focusing on "i'm different"
> 
> hope you guys enjoyed it :)


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